Jerrod Niemann plays his humor and music at Dos Amigos

Published 11:00 am, Tuesday, May 17, 2011

By Eric Woods

When country artist Jerrod Niemann went to record his latest album, "Judge Jerrod and the Hung Jury," he decided to do things a little differently than anybody else.

Instead of nailing down a handful of tracks, Niemann decided he would record a seamless album alternating between music and a few comedy bits he recorded with his friends. After all, without a record contract, who would ever hear it, right?

Think again.

Niemann's unpredictable album, complete with offbeat bantering, beat out Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" for the No. 1 slot of the Billboard Top Country Albums chart in its debut week. And with a little help from his successful album, Niemann also garnered a CMA nomination for New Artist of the Year, and earned his first No. 1 country hit single "Lover, Lover," which is a remake of the 1992 song "You Don't Treat Me No Good No More."

"We have 12 songs on there and then eight little skits, or bits, or trash or whatever you want to call them," the Kansas native said jokingly. "At the time I didn't have a record deal, or didn't have any huge studio musicians, it was just our band, and I didn't think anybody would ever hear the album. It was just whatever we wanted to do just for fun."

The only problem Niemann had with his jury was that they weren't exactly funny. But with a little liquid courage, Niemann got things turned around.

"I called friends that I knew were hilarious to come do some of these parts and little bits, but they would come in and be the opposite of funny," Niemann said and laughed. "You know, they'd be nervous and yeah, they're comedians and social drunks and are just hilarious, so I was like, 'Look, just go out and when the bars close come back and we'll work on something else.' They'd come back and they'd have a whole different attitude, and then I couldn't get them to shut their mouths. The funniest things they would just say ... I wish I could have used it all, but some of the funniest stuff just went too far."

Niemann, who got his start in Nashville as a songwriter, actually had a great deal of success even before recording "Judge Jerrod and the Hung Jury." A lot of that success came was the result of several writing sessions with country legend, Garth Brooks. Niemann has co-written songs with Brooks including a tribute to Chris LeDoux called "Good Ride Cowboy," and "That Girl is a Cowboy." Niemann has also written songs for Jamey Johnson, Neal McCoy and John Anderson.

"You know it's awesome and it's obviously an opportunity to work with Garth Brooks," he said. "You realize two things; how far you've come because you've worked a long time to get there, and you see how good he is and that makes you realize how far you still have to go."

As for what's on the horizon for Niemann, he said he's going to release his next single, "One More Drinkin' Song," and is also going to continue to work on a new album. The jury is still out on when that album is to be released.

"Being a songwriter in Nashville for 10 years, you know there are a lot of songs I've saved and just held and not played for anybody, so I'm probably going to sprinkle some of those in," he said about his upcoming project.

As for his local performance, and how good it will be? Niemann said you be the judge.

"You know when I was growing up and going to concerts, I hated being bored to death, so it like traumatized me," he joked. "Every time I go out, I try to get the crowd involved as much as possible and have as much fun as we can. We have a different set list every night, and I love playing songs that have been fortunate for other people and some of our old favorites as well. You know we just mix it up and have a good time and you can tell everybody to take their vitamins 'cause they might get a little thirsty."